Janice Santaniello now accredited as professional home stager

Date: 8/18/2010

LONGMEADOW Janice Santaniello and Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are now serving the Longmeadow area as an accredited staging professional. Santaniello is among the network of more than 21,000 real estate agents and professional home stagers worldwide, who are providing sellers with the knowledge and tools they need to sell their homes faster and/or for more money.

Santaniello has completed the accredited staging professional course provided by StagedHomes.com, where she received hands-on instruction and was required to and demonstrated techniques by staging a home that was listed on the market.

The softening real estate market is increasing homeowner demands for tools to help bring a profit in the sale of their homes. home staging has become one such tool. By properly cleaning, decluttering and preparing a house before it is listed on the market, homeowners have a better chance of selling their home at or above list price.

In a recent study conducted by Stagedhomes.com, of more than 1,000 homes, (55 percent vacant, 45 percent occupied) across the United States and Canada, showed that homes that were prepared for sale by an accredited staging professional were on the market 80 percent less time before selling than non staged homes. The average staged home sold for more dollars depending upon the market, price range of the house and the neighborhood. Averages ran from 7.9 percent more dollars to over 25 percent or more than non-staged homes.

The accredited staging professional course was created by Barb Schwarz, creator of home staging, president and CEO of Stagedhomes.com and the International Association of Home Staging Professionals. Schwarz developed the concept of home staging in the early 1970s and has since educated more than one million people on the subject. She is a nationally known and award-winning speaker, author and trainer and has been featured on ABC's "Good Morning America" and "20/20," NBC's "The Today Show," PBS, "The CBS Evening News," "Fox News," as well as many local new programs.

Santaniello can be reached at the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage office in Longmeadow 567-8931, or directly at 748-6169.